This was not a case of mad cow disease, according to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. But there was certainly evidence of a mad scramble at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday morning. Just hours after Japan halted American beef imports because officials there discovered a shipment containing bone that they considered at risk for mad cow disease, Johanns spoke to reporters in a hastily arranged news conference. He didn't mince words. "While this is not a food-safety issue, this is an unacceptable failure on our part to meet the requirements of our agreement with Japan," he said. "We take this matter very seriously." Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters Friday that it was "extremely important to secure the food safety for the Japanese people." It is not clear how long the stoppage will be in place. ... http://abcnews.go.com

Britain's House of Lords rejected government plans to make a system of national identity cards compulsory, dealing a second blow to Prime Minister Tony Blair's flagship proposal for fighting fraud in just over a week. The upper chamber of Parliament voted 186-142 for an amendment that would make registration voluntary. On Jan. 16, the Lords backed an amendment that would force the government to provide an audited estimate of the costs of introducing the cards. ``Unless there is compulsion, you won't get the benefits of an ID card system,'' Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer said in a British Broadcasting Corp. interview ahead of the vote. ``I think it will become inevitable that you need reliable means of identification, both to stop people stealing your identity, and also making it much easier for you to deal with the state.'' ...http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=ascMXXONlNK4&refer=home

Bush told abortion opponents Monday that they are pursuing "a noble cause" and making a real difference in the campaign to recruit more Americans to stand on their side. "We're working to persuade more of our fellow Americans of the rightness of our cause," the president told abortion foes gathered at the foot of Capitol Hill on a chilly, rainy day. He spoke by telephone from Manhattan, Kansas, where he was to give a speech. "This is a cause that appeals to the conscience of our citizens and is rooted in America's deepest principle," the president said. "And history tells us that with such a cause we will prevail." Why do people still think Bush will do something for the Anti Abortionists? He could have done something the day he took office and every day since. But he talks about doing something but never has, or most likely ever will. ...http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/23/abortion.anniversary.ap/index.html?section=cnn_us

Oil-rich Gulf state Kuwait is embroiled in an unprecedented constitutional crisis pitting two branches of the ruling Sabah family against each other. The cabinet has asked parliament to support the removal of Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah on health grounds. Supporters of the sheikh have responded by asking for his swearing-in to be held before MPs can convene. But the move was rejected by the speaker, and parliament will decide the emir's fate in a vote on Tuesday. Constitutionally, when requested by the cabinet, Kuwait's parliament must vote by a two-thirds majority for an ailing emir to be removed. If the new emir is voted out of office, it would be the first time a Kuwaiti ruler is removed by parliament. Sheikh Saad, 76, has played little part in public life for several years, despite being crown prince to Emir Sheikh Jaber, who also suffered poor health. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4638596.stm

Canadians have begun casting votes in a general election with opinion polls pointing to a likely Conservative win for the first time in 12 years. The second election in 18 months was triggered when Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin lost a confidence vote. Conservative leader Stephen Harper has pledged to cut taxes and tackle violent crime and corruption. Polling stations in Newfoundland were first to open as the election unfolded across Canada's six time zones. Two last-minute opinion suggested the Conservatives would be 10 points ahead of the Liberals - at 37% to 27% - but they also indicated the party would not secure an outright majority in the 308-seat house. Correspondents say that although the Canadian economy is buoyant, the Liberals have struggled to shake off accusations of corruption. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4638258.stm

Carmaker Ford is closing 14 North American plants with the loss of 25-30,000 jobs as it attempts to revive its business there. The cuts, representing nearly a quarter of its North American workforce, come as Ford faces tough competition from Asian rivals such as Toyota and Nissan. It wants to reduce costs in its North American business by $6bn by 2010. The closure of 14 plants there will slash its annual car production by 1.2 million units, or 26%, by 2008. Last year Ford's share of the US car market slumped to 17.4%, the lowest it has been since the late 1920's. Earlier on Monday, Ford said that net income had risen by 19% in the last three months of 2005, topping market forecasts. However, the figure was helped by the proceeds from the sale of the Hertz rental car business. For the full year, Ford's North American vehicle operations lost $1.6bn before taxes. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4639034.stm